Churchill's Iconic "Never Give In

Unit 1
Text I
Never Give In, Never, Never, Never

Learning Objectives
 Learn and practice reading, writing, listening,
and speaking about Churchill’s speech and the
Second World War.
 Discuss the historical and realistic significance
of Churchill’s speech.
 Discuss and learn to improve your speech
writing and public speaking skills.

 Topic: Winston Churchill and his speech at Harrow
School
 Key words and expressions: catastrophic, misfortune,
desperately, menace, lull, noble chance of war,
deceptive, impostor, far-reaching, conviction, liquidate,
flinch, persevere, stern, memorable, give in, ups and
downs, bring up, throw one’s mind back to, make up
one’s mind, put through, make out, address oneself to,
yield to, stand in the gap, thought of, find oneself, in
one’s honor, play a part
 Grammar points: Coordination, parallel construction,
tense
noble adj. impressive; splendid; heroic

 Pre-reading Activities
 Background Information
 Global Reading
 Detailed Reading
 Language Appreciation
 Text II
Teaching Procedure

Discuss the following questions in groups of four.
Pre-reading Activities
 What do you know about World War II? When did it break
out? And when did it end?
 Can you name some important historic figures in WWII?
 What do you know about Winston Churchill? Besides his
talent as a statesman, what was he also famous for?
 Have you ever read his speeches? Do you like his speeches?
Would you feel excited and inspired while reading or
listening to his speeches?

Audiovisual supplement
Watch the video and answer the following questions.
1. What consequence would it be if the German took over
the French navy?
The German would control the Mediterranean, deprive
Britain of its access to the Suez Canal, and cut off the
British oil supplies, which would be disastrous.
He ordered Admiral Somerville to bombard the French
fleet in the port of Oran. He wanted to show the world
and in particular the United States that Britain meant to
fight on.
2. What was Churchill’s plan if French did not accept his
choices? Why would he do so?

Churchill: Now that the French have surrendered, we must
assume that their navy will soon be in German hand.
That must not happen. We must keep control of the
Mediterranean. Without access to the Suez Canal,
our oil supplies will be cut off, which would of
course be disastrous. I’ve told the French they must
continue to fight, sail their ships to a British port, or
scuttle the entire fleet. If they accept none of these
choices, I’ve ordered Admiral Somerville, to
bombard the French fleet in the port of Oran. We
have to show the world, and in particular the United
States, that we mean to fight on.

Background Information
 Winston Churchill
 Harrow School
 Songs of Harrow
 World War II
温斯顿•丘吉尔
哈罗公学

Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
As a politician, Winston Churchill is remembered as one of
Britain’s greatest statesmen. He was the son of the Conservative
politician Lord Randolph Churchill and his American wife Jennie.
As a young man he served as a soldier in India and Egypt, and as
a journalist in South Africa, before entering politics. Churchill
became Prime Minister and Minister of Defence in 1940. His
radio speeches during World WarⅡgave the British people a
strong determination to win the war, especially at times of great
crisis.
Examples of Churchill’s phrases still often quoted today are
“I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat”, and
“This was their finest hour”. The Conservative Party led by
Churchill lost the election of 1945, but he became Prime
Minister again from 1951 to 1955 when he retired, aged 80.
When he died in Jan. 1965 he was given a state funeral.
热血、辛劳、眼泪和汗水

Winston Churchill is a noted statesman and orator, historian,
writer, and an artist. To date, he is the first person to have been
recognized as an honorary citizen of the United States, and the only
British prime minister to have received the Nobel Prize in
Literature. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953
“for his mastery of historical and biographical description as well
as for brilliant oratory in defending exalted human values”.

Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as “Harrow”, is an
English independent school for boys situated in the town of
Harrow, in north-west London. There is some evidence that there
has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School
we know today was officially founded by John Lyon under a
Royal Charter of Elizabeth I in 1572. The school has an
enrollment of approximately 800 boys spread across twelve
boarding houses, all of whom board full time.
Harrow has many traditions and rich history, which includes
the use of boaters, morning suits, top hats and canes as uniform.
Its long line of famous alumni include eight former Prime
Ministers (including Churchill, Baldwin, Peel, and Palmerston),
numerous foreign statesmen, former and current members of both
houses of the UK Parliament, two Kings and several other
members of various royal families, 19 Victoria Cross holders, and
a great many notable figures in both the arts and the sciences.
维多利亚十字勋章

The original Old Schools, as
they were in 1615

Songs of Harrow
 Songs have been an important part of Harrow life ever since
John Farmer, a former head of music, wrote the first song in
1864. The school considers them to be a unifying force as they
are sung by the boys in their houses every term. Songs are
sung by the whole school to audiences of parents, former
pupils of the school, and guests of honour that have, in the past,
included members of the royal family and representatives from
previous governments. The song Forty Years On has become
known as the school song, although in reality it is one of many.
It features a verse about Winston Churchill, and was heard in
the film Young Winston (1972).

World War II, or the Second World War, the most
widespread war in history, lasted from 1939 to 1945 and
involved most of the world’s nations which formed two
opposing military alliances, the Allies and the Axis.
The war began on 1 September, 1939, with the invasion
of Poland by Germany and Slovakia, and subsequent
declarations of war on Germany by France and most of the
countries of the British Empire and Commonwealth.
From late 1939 to early 1941, in a series of campaigns
and treaties, Germany conquered or subdued much of
continental Europe. Britain and the Commonwealth remained
the only major force continuing the fight against the Axis in
North Africa and in extensive naval warfare. Churchill’s
speech at Harrow as was adapted in the text was delivered
in this historical context.
World War II

Global Reading
 Text analysis
 General impression of the speech
 Structure analysis of the text

Text Analysis
This text is an inspiring speech made by
Winston Churchill, Great Britain’s ex-Prime
Minister and famous orator, when he visited Harrow
School on October 29, 1941. In his speech he
analyzed the world situation and how other
countries looked at Britain and then called on the
British people not to give in. He expressed his
conviction that this nation was determined to fight
for the victory of this great war.

1. What did Churchill intend to do by making his speech?
2. What do you think is its most striking feature in the use of
language?
3. What other rhetorical features do you see in the speech
which lend force and appeal to it?
4. What is the prevailing tone of the speech?
General Impression of the Speech
 To encourage people to hold on in the stern situation.
 Repetition.
 Parallel structure, antithesis, metaphor, rhetorical questions.
 Optimistic and encouraging.

Structure Analysis of the Text
PARTS PARAGRAPHS MAIN IDEAS
1
2
3
Paragraphs 2-5
Churchill concentrated on the
purpose of his speech, i.e., to
inspire his audience to maintain the
relentless spirit of the nation and to
fight for the final victory in the war.
Paragraph 1 Churchill reviewed the great
events and suggested that his
audience might be wondering why
more was not happening.
Paragraphs 6-8 Churchill reiterated his inspira-
tions by changing a word in a
verse recently added to a tradi-
tional song.
Opening remarks
The body
Closing remarks

Comprehension Questions
Part I
Part II
Part III
Detailed Reading

Part I
1. What was Churchill’s intention of singing some
of their songs?
2. What changes took place during the time
between Churchill’s two visits?
3. Why did Churchill use ill-favored words such
as “ups and downs” and “misfortunes” when
talking about the menace of the enemy?
4. How do you understand the words “impatient”
and “this long lull” in the last sentence?

1. What was Churchill’s intention of singing some
of their songs?
At the initial stage of the Second World War, Great
Britain was fighting in isolation against the Nazi
Fascists. Some British people doubted whether their
nation could win the war with their own efforts.
Churchill wanted to convey the conviction of the
government to the British people through these songs
and encourage them to persevere.

2. What changes took place during the time between
Churchill’s two visits?
Britain was no longer alone in fighting the Germans
and was better armed.
3. Why did Churchill use ill-favored words such as “ups
and downs” and “misfortunes” when talking about
the menace of the enemy?
Because he wanted to inspire patriotic spirit in the
people, encourage them to face the difficult situation
and fight bravely against the Nazis.

4. How do you understand the words “impatient”
and “this long lull” in the last sentence?
The use of these two expressions indicates the
speaker’s desire to stimulate the listeners into action
against the Nazis on the one hand, and on the other
hand, it reveals the speaker’s criticism of the
inactiveness and impotence in the face of the
seemingly powerful enemy.

Part II
1. Why did Churchill urge people to be patient? (Ex. III-
1, page 6)
2. What did Churchill mean by saying “we must learn to
be equally good at what is short and sharp and what
is long and tough” (Para. 2)?
3. Why did Churchill say “… appearances are often
deceptive” (Para. 3)?
4. Why did Churchill advise the British people to treat
Triumph and Disaster in the same way (Para. 3)? (EX.
III-2, page 6)
5. What do you feel about Churchill’s attitude towards
“the people who are imaginative” (Para. 4)?
6. What lesson had they learned?
7. What was the change in the widespread mood
referred to in Paragraph 5? (EX. III-3, page 6)
8. What is the shift of emphasis from Para. 4 to Para. 5?

1. Why did Churchill urge people to be patient? (Ex.
III-1, page 6)
Because he understands that the war is long and tough: it
is not to end in months but in years. He tells the people
there that however long the war lasts, the final victory
belongs to Britain. But at the same time he makes it clear
that not every day is an opportunity to take action: they
have yet to wait and persevere.
2. What did Churchill mean by saying “we must learn
to be equally good at what is short and sharp and
what is long and tough” (Para. 2)?
By saying this he meant to make the British people
fully aware that they should not only be able to fight
and win short and quick battles but also be ready to
fight and win hard and enduring wars.

3. Why did Churchill say “… appearances are often
deceptive” (Para. 3)?
Because he intended to tell the British people that
they did not have to be frightened by the seemingly
powerful enemy and embittered by the misfortunes
and disasters.
4. Why did Churchill advise the British people to treat
Triumph and Disaster in the same way (Para. 3)? (EX.
III-2, page 6)
Because he thinks that both Triumph and Disaster are
deceptive in that people can make things out far worse
than they really are when they have a disaster and
they can lose their vigilance when they are in triumph.

5. What do you feel about Churchill’s attitude towards
“the people who are imaginative” (Para. 4)?
6. What lesson had they learned?
Critical.
The lesson learnt throughout the past ten months was
that when facing great difficulties, one should never
give in. with a combination of imagination and
courage, the British people could overcome any kind
of difficulties and smash any attack of the enemy.

7. What was the change in the widespread mood
referred to in Paragraph 5? (EX. III-3, page 6)
Because when Britain came under the heavy air attacks by
Germany, many other nations thought that Britain was
finished. As the country stood the ordeal to their great
surprise, those nations changed their view.
8. What is the shift of emphasis from Para. 4 to Para. 5?
In Para. 4, Churchill tried to persuade the listeners never to
give in to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy,
which is mainly a more defensive attitude; while in Para. 5,
Churchill took one step further, that is, to convince the
listeners that it was high time that the British people
persevere to conquer, suggesting a more ambitious goal for
the nation.

Part III
1. When did the idea of altering the word “darker” to
“sterner” first occur to Churchill?
2. Why didn’t Churchill venture to do so at that time?
3. Why did Churchill change darker into sterner? (Ex.
III-4, page 6)
4. Why did Churchill conclude his speech by
attending to the school song instead of directly
calling on the listeners to join their efforts against
the fascists?
5. Do you think Churchill had achieved his purpose
by the end of his speech? (EX. III-5, page 6)

1. When did the idea of altering the word “darker”
to “sterner” first occur to Churchill?
2. Why didn’t Churchill venture to do so at that time?
In 1940.
Because that was the worst time for Britain. She was
desperately alone, poorly armed, and many other
countries believed that Britain would not be able to
survive the war. It was not the right time to do so
since pessimism was prevailing among many people at
that time.

3. Why did Churchill replace the word darker with
sterner? (Ex. III-4, page 6)
Because he had a strong conviction of victory. The word
darker carries a pessimistic tone, for it usually indicates
“a period of unpleasant and frightening time” and
implies hopelessness in a difficult period. But the word
sterner, though it has the identical referent, suggests a
time that is testing, but testing in away that offers the
British the opportunity to display their courage to the
full.

4. Why did Churchill conclude his speech by attending
to the school song instead of directly calling on the
listeners to join their efforts against the fascists?
Because it would help the listeners better understand
the situation, steel their will and strengthen their
conviction for the final victory of the war.
5. Do you think Churchill had achieved his purpose by
the end of his speech? (EX. III-5, page 6)
Yes. By paying a visit to Harrow School and making a
speech there, Churchill not only encouraged the
audience of his speech but the British people in
general to continue to fight rather than surrender to
their enemy.

Language Appreciation
 Sentence highlights
 Rhetorical features of the text

1. The ten months that have passed have seen very terrible
catastrophic events in the world — ups and downs,
misfortunes — but can anyone sitting here this afternoon,
this October afternoon, not feel deeply thankful for what
has happened in the time that has passed and for the very
great improvement in the position of our country and of our
home? (Para. 1)
be the time when (an event) happens
involving or causing sudden great damage or suffering
catastrophe n. catastrophically adv.
This age witnessed the catastrophic consequences of the war.
The flood was a major catastrophe, causing heavy loss of life.
Sentence highlights

(为某事发生之时，为(某事)的现场或背景) 是一种拟
人化的表现手法。该词前面可以加表示时间或地点的
名词短语，前者表示事件发生的时间，后者表示事件
发生的地点。
This year sees the hundredth anniversary of the great
writer’s birth.
Shanghai has seen many significant events in
Chinese history.
see v.
Sentence highlights

a mixture of good things and bad things;
alternating periods of good and bad fortune or spirits
ups and downs
The organization has experienced its ups and downs
since it was founded in 1999.
Sitting beside the window, he recalled the ups and
downs in his life.
1) 人生充满了得意和失意。
Life is full of ups and downs.
They will never forget those ups and downs.
2) 他们永远也不会忘记所经历的那些坎坷。
Sentence highlights
历经盛衰沉浮

bad luck, often of a serious kind
misfortune n.
His failure in business was due to misfortune.
Antonym:
fortune
Synonym:
accident,
calamity,
catastrophe,
disaster
1) 我真倒霉，稍微违反一下交通规则，驾驶
执照就给没收了。
I had the misfortune to have my driving license
taken away for a minor offence.
Misfortune struck early in the voyage.
2) 启航之后即遇不测。
Sentence highlights

… the very great improvement in the position of our
country and of our home?
It refers to the better armament of the British forces and
assistance from the United States. At the beginning of the
Battle of Britain initiated by Germany on 10 July 1940,
especially after the blitz of London, British military forces
were poorly armed. Then they obtained military aids from the
United States and improved their armament. In addition,
Britain was no longer alone in the war. In 1941, the United
States began to involve itself in the war. On 7 July 1941,
American troops joined British troops in the occupation of
Iceland. August 9－13, 1941, U. S. President Franklin D.
Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill met at
Placentia Bay, off the coast of Newfoundland, and signed the
Atlantic Charter, a document outlining the Allied war aims.
Sentence highlights

Sentence highlights
has happened in the time that has passed and for the very
great improvement in the position of our country and of our
home? (Para. 1)
Paraphrase:
Ten months have passed since I last visited the school. During
these ten months, terrible disastrous events have taken place in
the world, and it has been a time full of ups and downs and
misfortunes. We’ve gone through the most difficult time and the
situation for Britain—our homeland—has improved. Therefore
everyone sitting here this afternoon, this October afternoon, must
feel extremely grateful.

has happened in the time that has passed and for the
very great improvement in the position of our country
and of our home? (Para. 1)
在过去的十个月里，世界发生了可怕的灾难，沉浮不定，
灾祸不断。但是今天下午，10月的这个下午，在座的各位
难道不因为在过去的时间里所发生的事情，不因为我们的
国家和家园所取得的形势上的改善而深为感激吗？
Sentence highlights

2. Why, when I was here last time we were quite alone,
desperately alone, and we had been so for five or six
months. (Para. 1)
1) (of a situation) extremely or dangerously
Though desperately ill he could linger on for months.
2) in intense despair
The man in the river tried desperately to reach the side.
desperation n. desperate adj.
是啊，去年我在这里的时候我们还很孤独，极度的孤独，
这种状态持续了五六个月。
Sentence highlights

3. We had the unmeasured menace of the enemy and their
air attack still beating upon us, and you yourselves had
had experience of this attack; and I expect you are
beginning to feel impatient that there has been this long
lull with nothing particular turning up! (Para. 1)
the immense or incalculable threat or danger
of the enemy attack
you are beginning to be anxious because Britain has been in too
long a period of stillness without taking any particular action
against the enemy.
那时我们面临着敌人无法估量的巨大威胁以及接二连三的
空袭，你们都亲历了这场空袭；我想你们已经开始焦虑不
安了因为在这段漫长而沉闷的时间里一直没有出现任何形
势的转机。
Sentence highlights

menace n. a person or thing that is likely to cause harm;
a threat or danger
He lived under constant menace of being robbed by the
criminals.
menace v.
menace & threaten
menace: a more formal and greater word, often used on people
threaten: a more ordinary and more direct word, often used on
people or things
(formal) to be a possible danger to
something/somebody
The forests are being menaced by major development projects.
Sentence highlights

lull n. a temporary interval of quiet or lack of activity
The lull in the conversation indicated that they were hesitant.
lull v. make quiet or less active; soothe
It’s your turn to lull the baby to sleep.
lull sb./sth. to sth.
He lulled us into a false sense of security.
lull sb./sth. into sth.
Synonym:
break,
intermission,
pause,
recess,
respite,
rest
1) 火车的晃动把我轻摇入睡。
The movement of the train lulled me to sleep.
We should make full use of the lull in the
fighting.
2) 我们应充分利用休战期。
Sentence highlights

Sentence highlights
4. But we must learn to be equally good at what is short and
sharp and what is long and tough. It is generally said that
the British are often better at the last. (Para. 2)
但我们必须学会同样善于应付短暂而干脆与漫长而艰难
的局面。人们普遍认为英国人最终总是会胜出的。
what is short and sharp and what is long and tough:
difficulties and hardships of any kind, imminent or distant,
temporary or long-lasting

5. … but when they very slowly make up their minds that
the thing has to be done and the job put through and
finished, then, even if it takes months — if it takes
years — they do it. (Para. 2)
Sentence highlights
Paraphrase:
(The British people do not make quick decisions,) but once
they come to see the necessity of doing something and decide
to carry that out to a successful end, they will persevere with
it no matter how long it will take.
adverbial clause
indicating time has to be
Adverbial clause indicating concession
但是一旦他们慢慢地做出决定必须做一件事，必须开展并
完成一项工作，那么即使需要几个月，需要几年，他们都
会去做。

imposter: one who deceives under the assumed identity
Sentence highlights
6. Another lesson I think we may take, just throwing our
minds back to our meeting here ten months ago and
now, is that appearances are very deceptive, and as
Kipling well says, we must “ ... meet with Triumph
and Disaster. And treat those two impostors just the
same.” (Para. 3)
appearances: surface phenomena
Note that appearance is used in the plural form in
such phrases as keep up appearances, from all
appearances, by all appearances
meet with: experience, undergo
Attempts to find civilian volunteers have met with embarrassing
failure.
triumph: a great victory or achievement
The winning team returned home in triumph.
triumph over sb./sth. We triumphed over difficulties in the end.
throw one’s mind back to sth.: recollect

Sentence highlights
6. Another lesson I think we may take, just throwing our
minds back to our meeting here ten months ago and
now, is that appearances are very deceptive, and as
Kipling well says, we must “ ... meet with Triumph
and Disaster. And treat those two impostors just the
same.” (Para. 3)
外表常常具有欺骗性
surface phenomena tend to be misleading
我们必然会经历胜利和灾难，尽管它们有不同的伪装，但
我们要一视同仁地对待它们。
We are sure to experience both Triumph and Disaster, but must
avoid clouding our judgment through exaggerating their
importance.
1
1
2
2

e.g. How do you make that out (= what are your reasons for
thinking that)?
[+ wh-] I can’t make out what she wants.
make out: see or understand
7. Sometimes imagination makes things out far worse
than they are; yet without imagination not much can
be done. (Para. 4)
Paraphrase:
sometimes what one imagines tends to be worse than the reality

Sentence highlights
8. Those people who are imaginative see many more
dangers than perhaps exist; certainly many more will
happen; but then they must also pray to be given that extra
courage to carry this far-reaching imagination. (Para. 4)
… than (the dangers) perhaps exist.
e.g. The experiment requires more money than
has been put in.
wish to be equipped with excessive courage to accomplish or
realize this effective and influential blue-print (to stand the
fear and worry resulting from their imagination)
那些富有想象力的人看到的危险比可能存在的危险要多，
当然，很多事情肯定会发生，但是到那时他们又必须祈
祷被赋予额外的勇气来承载这影响深远的想象。

far-reaching adj. having important and widely applicable
effects or implications
e.g. The consequences of the decision will be far-reaching.
They decided to carry on far-reaching constitutional
reforms.
Collocations:
far-reaching consequences/implications/changes/reforms

conviction n.
e.g. She was motivated by deep religious convictions.
In face of difficulty, he held a conviction that all would be
well in the end.
(1) a strong opinion or belief
(2) [U] the feeling or appearance of believing sth. strongly or of
being sure about it
e.g. He said he agreed but his voice lacked conviction.
The leader’s speech in defense of the policy didn’t carry
much conviction.
Collocations: political/moral convictions
9. … never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing,
great or small, large or petty—never give in except to
conviction of honour and good sense. Never yield to
force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might
of the enemy. (Para. 4)

yield v.
yield (to sth./sb.): (formal or literary) give up control (of)
e.g. After a long siege, the town was forced to yield.
He reluctantly yielded to their demands.
If the newly founded regime does not yield, it should face
sufficient military force to ensure its certain defeat.
I yielded to temptation and had a chocolate bar.
Synonym: surrender

The evidence against him was overwhelming.
She had the almost overwhelming desire to tell him the
truth.
e.g.
overwhelming: a. very great in amount
Derivation:
overwhelm: v. defeat or make powerless (usu. a group of
people) by much greater force of numbers; e.g. to overwhelm
the opposing army
Translation:
压倒性的大多数表决反对这个提议。
An overwhelming majority voted against the proposal.
_____________________________________________________________

9. … never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing,
great or small, large or petty—never give in except to
conviction of honour and good sense. Never yield to
force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might
of the enemy. (Para. 4)
Paraphrase:
Never give in unless we are convinced that it is honourable and
sensible for us to do so. Never give in to military action; never
give in to the seemingly strong enemy.
Translation:
除了坚守荣誉和理性，决不能放弃。决不向武力屈服，决
不向看似强大的敌人屈服。

Sentence highlights
10. Britain, other nations thought, had drawn a sponge
across her slate. (Para. 5)
draw a sponge across one’s slate:
be completely wiped out; be completely conquered
Paraphrase:
Other nations thought that Britain was completely conquered.
Translation:
其他国家认为英国输得一无所有了。

Sentence highlights
11. But instead our country stood in the gap. There was
no flinching and no thought of giving in; and by what
seemed almost a miracle to those outside these
islands, though we ourselves never doubted it, we
now find ourselves in a position where I say that we
can be sure that we have only to persevere to
conquer. (Para. 5)
concession, function as an interpolation
flinching: sudden small movement because of pain or fear
Murat had looked into the eyes of the firing squad without
flinching
e.g.
stand in the gap: to expose one’s self for the protection of sth.,
take the place of a fallen defender
At the critical moment of world economic recession, a
powerful government is needed to stand in the gap.
e.g.

position: situation at a particular time
Synonym:
situation; circumstances
e.g. It is time those companies revealed more about their
financial position.
Their soccer team is going to be in a very difficult
position if nothing particular shows up.

have to
used to say that it is important that something
happens, or that something must happen if
something else is to happen:
There has to be an end to the violence.
You've got to believe me!
There will have to be a complete ceasefire before
the Government will agree to talks.
You have to be good to succeed in this game.

persevere: v. continue in a course of action even in the face of
difficulty or with little or no indication of success
Collocations:
persevere (in sth. / in doing sth.); persevere (with sth./sb.)
Despite a number of setbacks, they persevered in their
attempts to fly around the world in a balloon.
She persevered with her violin lessons.
e.g.
Derivations:
persevering a.; perseverance n.

Sentence highlights
conquer. (Para. 5)
Paraphrase:
But instead, our country shoulder the responsibility in isolation.
We never gave in and never intended to give in. Although we
ourselves firmly believed that we would never surrender, to other
countries, this was almost a miracle. Therefore, we are now in
such a situation that we will win as long as we hold on to the end.

Sentence highlights
conquer. (Para. 5)
相反，我们的国家在孤立的处境中坚守着阵地(挺身而出)，
毫不退缩，不言放弃。这对于英伦岛以外的国家几乎就是
奇迹，尽管我们自己从未对此有过怀疑。如今，我们发现
我们正处于这样一种形势，在这种情况下，我们确信我们
唯有坚持到胜利的到来。

Sentence highlights
12. You sang here a verse of a school song: you sang that
extra verse written in my honour, which I was very
greatly complimented by and which you have repeated
today. (Para. 6)
politely congratulate or praise (someone) for something
I complimented her on her skillful performance.
compliment n. That was an excellent dinner — my compliments to the chef!
a left-handed compliment: compliment that is ambiguous in meaning and
possibly ironic
complimentary adj. The concert received complimentary reviews.
上次你们在这里唱了一段校歌，你们唱了那段为我而写的
校歌，当时我深感荣幸，今天你们又唱起了它。

compliment: v. politely congratulate or praise (sb.) for sth.
e.g. She complimented him on his excellent German.
Collocation:
compliment sb. (on sth.)
These words have similar spellings but completely different
meanings.
If you compliment someone, you say something very nice to them.
If one thing complements another, the two things work or look
better because they are together.
Comparison: compliment & complement
A. The different flavors each other perfectly.
B. She me on my English.
complement
______________
complimented
________________
Blank filling:

Sentence highlights
The extra verse is:
No less we praise in darker days
The leader of our nation
And Churchill’s name shall win acclaim
From each new generation.
For you have power in danger’s hour
Our freedom to defend, Sir!
Though long the fight we know that right
Will triumph in the end, Sir!

Rhetorical Features of the Text
Winston Churchill was a great orator as well
as a successful statesman. He knew how to use
language to encourage his people to fight against
their enemies. To make his short speech at
Harrow School eloquent and encouraging, he
used many rhetorical devices.
Identify the rhetorical devices in the following sentences.

1. Almost a year has passed since I came down here
at your Head Master’s kind invitation in order to
cheer myself and cheer the hearts of a few of my
friends by singing some of our own songs. (Para. 1)
The use of repetition lays emphasis on the very purpose of
his first visit to the school and paves way for the presenta-
tion of his intention this time.
Repetitions of different kinds
Repetition of words
Repetition of different words of the same meaning
Repetition of the same sentence structure
反复
cheer myself: gladden my heart

2. — but can anyone sitting here this afternoon, this
October afternoon, not feel deeply thankful for what
has happened in the time that has passed and for
the very great improvement in the position of our
country and of our home? (Para. 1)
This sentence is a question only in form but not in
function, for it is not asking for information or
assurance, but for emphasis. This kind of question is
called rhetorical question.
What the speaker really wanted to say is “everyone
sitting here must feel thankful for …”
设问

3. But we must learn to be equally good at what is
short and sharp and what is long and tough. (Para. 2)
1) The speaker deliberately used two phrases of contrasting
meaning in a parallel structure in order to show the
determination of the British people to fight and win the war,
disregarding difficulties and hardships of any kind. In English
rhetoric, it is called antithesis.
2) The repeated initial consonant / / in the phrase “short and
sharp”, which is called alliteration or front rhyme, gives a
special rhythm to the speech.
对照
头韵

More Examples of Antithesis from the Text
ups and downs (Para. 1)
Used to describe the terrible nature of the war.
Triumph and Disaster (Para. 3)
great or small, large or petty (Para. 4)
Used to express the determination of the British people
to fight on for the final victory.
These are not dark days; these are great days (Para. 8)
Used to encourage the audience not to lose hope in the
face of difficulties.

4. … and as Kipling well says, we must “ ... meet
with Triumph and Disaster. And treat those two
impostors just the same.”(Para.3)
Here the first letter of the two words “triumph” and
“disaster” is capitalized. And they are further referred
too as “impostors”, as if they were two human beings.
This figure of speech is called personification.
The use of personification creates a more vivid image in
the mind of the audience and makes the complicated
and abstract ideas easier to understand.
拟人

5. Those people who are imaginative see many more
dangers than perhaps exist; certainly many more
will happen; but then they must also pray to be
given that extra courage to carry this far-reaching
imagination. (Para. 4)
By using the positive adjectives “imaginative” and “far-
reaching”, the speaker seemed to have adopted an
affirmative attitude towards those who thought too
much about the danger of the war. But actually,
Churchill was trying to achieve emphasis by saying the
opposite of what it meant, veiling in these two words a
harsh criticism for the cowardice and pessimism
prevailing among some people. This kind of language
use is called irony.
反语

6. We stood all alone a year ago, and to many countries
it seemed that our account was closed, we were
finished. (Para. 4)
暗喻，隐喻
Here the author uses a metaphor of “opening/closing a bank
account” to mean that Britain is regarded by many as doomed
and completely defeated by the enemy. The word “liquidated”
in the next sentence implies the same. Originally, it means to
close a business and sell everything it owns, usually in order
to pay money that is owed.
一年内，我们孤军作战，许多国家都以为我们被彻底打败了。

More metaphors in Para. 5
Britain, other nations thought, had drawn a sponge
across her slate. But instead our country stood in the gap.
Explanation:
This sentence uses metaphor for rhetorical effects. It means that,
although it was believed our country had been virtually wiped
out, we were in fact still holding out and shouldered the
responsibility in isolation.
draw a sponge across her slate: a metaphor, meaning to
completely wipe out
stand in the gap: to expose one’s self for the protection of sth.,
take the place of a fallen defender
At the critical moment of world economic recession, a
powerful government is needed to stand in the gap.
e.g.

7. All this tradition of ours, our songs, our school
history, this part of the history of this country,
were gone and finished and liquidated. (Para. 4)
Here the use of the three words “gone” and “finished”
and “liquidated” shows an ascending order of force and
intensity, from weak to strong, intensifying step by step
the cruel reality that if they did not take action and fight
to win the war the whole nation would be doomed. This
figure of speech is called climax.
层递

Churchill's Iconic "Never Give In

Churchill's Iconic "Never Give In

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